News

In its issue of June 7, Al Akhbar newspaper shed light on a recent study by the Lebanese Atomic Energy Commission affiliated with the National Council for Scientific Research (CNRS). The survey examined 63 samples of so-called ‘organic’ and non-organic products selected from three types of crops, namely oranges, grapes and cucumbers. The samples, Al Akhbar wrote, were collected during the summer of 2018 from the market or directly from organic farms across Lebanon and were tested for residues of some 73 pesticides certified by the ministry of agriculture. Results have shown that nearly 52.38% of the organic samples contained multi-pesticide residue and that 15% have exceeded the level allowed by the Codex Alimentarius internationally recognized standards (Food Code) and the European Union, Al Akhbar said. Also, some of the ‘organic’ agricultural products were highly contaminated with more than one type of pesticide. On the other hand, the study indicated that, around 73.33% of the non-organic crop samples contained insecticide residues, with 18.18% of these crops beating the level allowed by Codex and EU. According to the said survey, the main hitch facing non organic farming and farmers is their non-compliance with the specifications and conditions of the use of pesticides, in terms of quality, the quantity used and the time between spraying and harvesting. In conclusion, the study recommended endorsing the role of the ministries of agriculture and economy to monitor the sector and the need to spread awareness among farmers on the concept of organic farming. (More on the following link: : https://bit.ly/2I7qgpk). (Al Akhbar, June 7, 2019)
 

The local media briefly reported yesterday the news of a migrant domestic worker, Sri Lankan national, who has fallen from a building in the Saida neighborhood of Sharhabil and was rushed by the Red Cross to Hamshari Hospital. As usual, security forces arrived at the scene and started investigation. On the other hand, on June 9, the body of a young woman, W.H.S (born in 1998) was found inside an agricultural warehouse in Rashi’n-Keserwan. After examining the body by a forensic doctor, a Civil Defense squad transferred it to Haj Hospital in Ashqout. (Al Mustaqbal, June 9, 10, 2019)
 

In its Saturday’s issue, Al Akhbar daily shed light on ‘Rural Women Pioneers’ project by FAO, in cooperation with the ministry of agriculture and funding by the Canadian Government (USD 5 million). Al Akhbar wrote that the primary objective of the 3-year project is to create an enabling social and cultural environment for the economic empowerment of women. The implementation of the project will reportedly contribute to increasing the participation of women-led associations and coops in the local and rural economies and to setting up or expanding income-generating food enterprises. According to Al Akhbar, 150 out of 250 women agricultural cooperatives and associations will be selected based on specific criteria. Supposedly, around 150 of these coops in Lebanon shall receive a USD 5 million grant. According to the project, cooperatives or women associations will benefit from the capacity building and technical support, which will lead to the restructuring of the cooperative sector, while reviving existing cooperatives and associations or developing new ones. In addition, after three years of training, selected cooperatives and associations will receive a grant of $ 8,000 each and a work vouchers for refugees (working Syrian refugees women). At the end, the newspaper criticized the project, noting that in practice, nearly 76% of the grant will be used up for salaries, training, travel and operating expenses over the three-year period. The remaining amount of the coops’ share (intended for employing Syrian women refugees), shall not ultimately exceed USD 8,000 for each by the end of the project. (For more, kindly refer to the link below: https://bit.ly/2I6L4gQ
Al Akhbar, June 8, 2019
 

The minister of tourism, Avedis Guidanian, inaugurated the first edition of the Greek Festival at the historic Romanian Street in Jbeil, Byblos, June 7-10, in the presence of the Greek Ambassador to Lebanon, Francescos Verros, representing the Greek President, as well as the ambassador of Cyprus and Armenia. The director of the festival, Joseph Eid, underlined the cultural and touristic significance of the event. Likewise, Verros said the festival not only promotes Greek culture, food and wine in Lebanon, but it also strengthens tourism and cultural exchange between the two peoples of the Mediterranean countries. Guidanian, for his part, said the above initiative is a cornerstone for the already existing Lebanese-Greek relations, hoping the event will become an annual tradition. Recalling, the festival included 27 pavilions showcasing traditional Greek goods and folk music and dancing. (Al Diyar, June 9, 2019)